Two-Weapons: Avoiding the Divided Attention Trap
When working with two weapons the biggest mistake is to try to manage them independently from one another. This type of divided attention forces you…
25 Years of the Western Martial Arts Workshop (WMAW)
A week ago I returned from the Western Martial Arts Workshop (WMAW) in Racine, Wisconsin. I have been honoured to be a part of this…
Arms and Armour of the Chimei Museum
About 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Taipei is the tropical beach city of Tainan. Known for its good food, vibrant night markets, and richly…
Exploring HEMA in China: My Teaching Journey Across the Middle Kingdom
I’ve just returned from a month working with students and instructors across the middle kingdom in Fuzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, and Beijing. China is one of…
Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium 2024 in Review
The Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium (VISS) is a premier event in the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) community, drawing practitioners and instructors from around the…
When to Go: Four Moments to Strike
Among the foundational concepts in Italian Swordplay is “tempo,” a term that extends beyond mere timing to encompass the rhythm, opportunity, and decision-making critical to…
The Three Vanities of Deception
Deception is one of the most alluring ideas in martial arts. Yet good deception is significantly more complex and subtle than simply being sneaky. Today…
Partner Tactics in Solo Forms
Each defense or counter-attack is what demands the next piece of the form, the next counter. A good form demonstrates a series of obedience-inducing t…
A Treasure Trove of Antique Arms
On my recent trip to Los Angeles, my friend Mark Mikita took me to a hidden gem of a shop near his place in Marina…
The Intimidating Rondel
The rondel dagger is quite different from a modern tactical knife in that its primary function is as an armour-piercing spike. This changes how you…